He is not alone. Strength training is about finding a new fanbase. I’m over 50 years old and want to take a strong step into Silver’s Year. Concerns about balance and weight have driven the 61-year-old Satinder Cowl towards strength training three years ago. Kaur, an independent financial consultant based in Mumbai, has always been interested in yoga, but her son and daughter-in-law pushed her into weight training. She now works out twice a week with her trainer.
She said, “My overall health has improved. I feel my legs are getting stronger. I can stand for a long time without getting tired.” Kaur also has more notice that her group of peers will enter the gym. When it comes to fitness, strength training has moments. Being supported by social media, riding the current wave of IT-Terme is not only good looking, but I’m training to live longer. And there are many role models.
Former actor Sniel Shetty, 63, dropped his fitness routine on his podcast, “A Journey Scripted with Chanda Kochihar.” Shetty said, “When I was 30 and wanted to be like Arnold Schwarzenegger…… Today, when I train, it’s about my diet, my mental space about how I feel…”
Ritesh Telang, head of training operations at Cult.Fit, says he’s not surprised to see his senior at the gym for over 50 years. He said, “An independent, strong, confident, active age is one of the most powerful motivations for older people to pick up strength-based training. People are aware of how it has a positive impact on the mind.” According to Telang, social media has played a powerful role in raising awareness.
Strong & Silver
Shikashukrachabra, a Gore-based freelance research and policy analyst, follows Telang’s brother Rishabh, co-founder of Cult.Fit, on Instagram, and will be doing the series on strength training with his 63-year-old mother. Chhabra, 52, said: “Last November, I began strength training after some research and persuasive content on Instagram showed strength training, better health, better health, improved ability to deal with postmenopausal postmenopausal symptoms.” Four months later, she confesses she loves lift heights. Chhabra works strength training two or three times a week with her personal trainer. Ashwininarayan, a sally stylist based in Ahmedabad, turned 50 this year, has started training with his trainer three times a week. Aditya Kakar, founder of Aranyaka Estates, an ambitious second home development, has worked for many years. When he turns 50 in November, he bumps into the gym four times a week, making sure he works at least two hours on weekends. “Before he was 45 years old, fitness was about aesthetics. He doesn’t have a personal trainer, but he advises beginners to vet trainers and confirm certification. In the US and Europe, there is a dedicated Senior Fitness Certification Course, as training needs to be customized to age groups, focusing on progressive resistance, jointly friendly movement, balance, mobility and recovery.
Appropriate age
Marikatarkaparev, the owner of a 57-India, a physique 57 India that offers training based in Mumbai and Bengaluru, says one of the master trainers, Anishashhah has completed a certification course and accreditation in fitness for seniors. According to Parekh, “Indians have shown that they face lower bone density compared to other populations due to genetic and lifestyle factors, including diet and sunlight exposure. Furthermore, after age 35, bone density and muscle mass decrease significantly each year.
The Physique 57 starts a specific form of “active ager.” People who can walk without support but have no experience in resistance training. “This class aims to introduce resistance training to stabilize the body and gradually improve mobility and functional movement.”
Bengaluru-based fitness expert and entrepreneur Swetanbari Shetty says senior fitness is a huge business opportunity waiting to break. In my third space, her gym, Shetty has almost 80% of women in it, with over 50 categories gradually increasing. “You’re dedicated to senior gyms overseas, and this trend is picked up in India, but you haven’t reached the level of dedicated space,” she says.
I agree to Prasanna Akella, founder of Longevity Studio in Bengaluru. Akela says the children are pushing their parents in this direction. “There is a mental block that many people feel too old to start something new. Indians over the age of 45 have joint and muscle cramps, or pain in bad posture,” Swethanbari said.
Chelston Pinto, founder of Rapid Sports Fitness, a performance centre specializing in strength, conditioning and physical therapy in Bengaluru, sees the age group coming in without the pain they need to manage. In fact, Pinto has seen sufficient demand in this segment to launch geriatric care programs for those over 50 years old. Last year they had 120 people in the program, but this year they already have 50 signs.
Pinto advises online classes for people over 50 because safety is a major concern with this bracket. Rishab Malhotra, founder of Tagdalaho, who specializes in digifitness at the Bengaluru and Pune centres, says people now understand that fitness means more than weight management.
“Previously, weight was a major driver of health choices for people over 50,” he says. He feels that for over 50 years Tagda Raho has felt that for less intimidating than traditional gyms, as they do not use machines or modern gym equipment. Akella says older people suspect heavy weight because they feel it could lead to injuries. If you are beginning your strength training journey at 50, prime your body first.
He said, “The biggest reason for over 50 people participating in our strength training program is injury rehabilitation or injury prevention. They understand how strength training allows them to experience the life they want.” That worked well for entrepreneur Prason Banerjee, 70, who discovered her love for trekking at the age of 60. Today he has functional fitness strength training, aqua aerobics for flexibility, and a heart-warming diet. “I don’t know why people avoid fitness. The only challenge is getting up early in the morning,” says the man who brought it to Siachen Base Camp on the 70th of this year. The elderly are restless.
